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Green and Resilient Materials and Technologies for Future-Oriented Built Environments
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Green and Resilient Materials and Technologies for Future-Oriented Built Environments

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 1835

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Piotr Smarzewski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Military University of Technology, 00-908 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: eco-efficient concrete; high performance fiber reinforced cementitious composites; durability of fiber reinforced concrete; experimental testing and numerical analysis of concrete materials and structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tomasz Rudnicki

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Military University of Technology, 00-908 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: concrete; concrete properties
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The transition toward climate-neutral, resource-efficient, and resilient construction practices is one of the key challenges facing modern society. This Special Issue focuses on recent developments in sustainable and innovative materials and technologies that support the transformation of the built environment, including transport infrastructure, civil engineering structures, and residential buildings. Contributions are welcome in the areas of low-carbon construction materials, recycled and circular materials, nature-based solutions, and advanced functional composites. We also encourage studies related to durability, life-cycle performance, self-healing, and the smart monitoring of materials and structures. Particular emphasis is placed on the integration of sustainability criteria in design, maintenance, and procurement, as well as on the adaptation of infrastructure and buildings to climate change and biodiversity protection. This Special Issue invites both experimental and modeling approaches, including green concrete, eco-efficient binders, and biocomposites; the reuse of construction and demolition waste in new applications; LCA and CBA frameworks for evaluating performance and sustainability; climate-resilient materials and self-repairing systems; smart technologies (sensors, AI, and digital twins) in construction and asset management; nature-based and biodiversity-friendly engineering practices; and policy, regulatory, and procurement innovations supporting sustainability goals. Case studies, large-scale demonstrations, and interdisciplinary research bridging engineering, materials science, and sustainability policy are particularly encouraged. This Special Issue aims to support scientific research for future EU initiatives and green innovations in construction.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Buildings.

Dr. Piotr Smarzewski
Dr. Tomasz Rudnicki
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • green concrete
  • eco-efficient binders
  • biocomposites
  • reuse of construction and demolition waste in new applications
  • LCA and CBA frameworks for evaluating performance and sustainability
  • climate-resilient materials and self-repairing systems
  • smart technologies (sensors, AI, and digital twins) in construction and asset management

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 4327 KB  
Article
Effect of Sulfate Carrier Addition on the Microstructure of Calcined Clay Blended Cements
by Maximilian Panzer, Sebastian Scherb, Nancy Beuntner and Karl-Christian Thienel
Materials 2025, 18(21), 4972; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18214972 - 31 Oct 2025
Viewed by 224
Abstract
This publication builds on a previous paper proving the importance of sulfate carrier addition (sca) on the early compressive strength of calcined clay blended cements, especially when using a 1:1-dominated clay. This paper now aims to identify the background of these preceding findings [...] Read more.
This publication builds on a previous paper proving the importance of sulfate carrier addition (sca) on the early compressive strength of calcined clay blended cements, especially when using a 1:1-dominated clay. This paper now aims to identify the background of these preceding findings at the microstructural level. For this purpose, a Portland cement is replaced by a calcined kaolinitic, smectitic and illitic clay to different levels at various sca. The microstructural investigations focus on hydrate phases, porosity and scanning electron microscopy of hardened pastes at 2 and 28 days. The microstructural properties of 2:1-dominated clay blends can be improved by the sca, but the benefit is small compared to 1:1-dominated clay blends. On the other hand, their portlandite content does not decrease as much, but can even increase slightly. At early hydration, the amount of bound water increases, and the porosity decreases with increasing sca for all blends. Neither the correlation of the compressive strength with the water binding nor with the porosity is high enough for a reasonable strength prediction using these two parameters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Resilient Materials and Technologies for Future-Oriented Built Environments)
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19 pages, 2866 KB  
Article
Recycling Foundry Sands in Concrete: A Comparative Study on the Use of Green Sand and Chemically Bonded Sand as Partial Replacements for Natural Sand
by Pietro Di Maida, Corrado Sciancalepore, Enrico Radi, Luca Lanzoni and Daniel Milanese
Materials 2025, 18(18), 4245; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18184245 - 10 Sep 2025
Viewed by 610
Abstract
Currently, many foundries successfully reuse sand multiple times within their production cycle. However, when the sand can no longer be reused, it is disposed of, resulting in environmental damage and high disposal costs for the company. The present research aims to explore the [...] Read more.
Currently, many foundries successfully reuse sand multiple times within their production cycle. However, when the sand can no longer be reused, it is disposed of, resulting in environmental damage and high disposal costs for the company. The present research aims to explore the potential reuse of foundry sands as fine aggregate in concrete. Since this by-product is classified as non-hazardous waste, it can offer interesting opportunities for the recycling of a material that is currently one of the most widely used in the construction industry. This paper studies the potential reuse of green sand (GS) and chemically bonded sand (CBS) as a partial replacement for natural sand (NS) in concrete. Concrete specimens made with 10%, 20%, and 30% of foundry sand were tested, and a comparative analysis was carried out with the standard mixture in terms of chemical–physical properties, workability, and mechanical properties. The results showed a reduction in the performance of concrete specimens prepared with foundry sands. The lowest reductions in the strength, which were always below 10%, were observed for a 10% inclusion rate of both GS and CBS, with slightly better performance for CBS. Performance reductions tend to increase with higher replacement rates. However, these performance reductions turn out to be acceptable for concrete used in non-structural applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Resilient Materials and Technologies for Future-Oriented Built Environments)
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Review

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47 pages, 1967 KB  
Review
Reinforced Concrete Beams with FRP and Hybrid Steel–FRP Composite Bars: Load–Deflection Response, Failure Mechanisms, and Design Implications
by Paulina Dziomdziora and Piotr Smarzewski
Materials 2025, 18(18), 4381; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18184381 - 19 Sep 2025
Viewed by 793
Abstract
Corrosion concerns motivate the use of alternatives to conventional steel reinforcement in RC beams. This review evaluates fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars and hybrid steel–FRP composite bars (SFCBs) used for durability-critical applications. We conducted a structured literature search focused on 2010–2025 and included seminal [...] Read more.
Corrosion concerns motivate the use of alternatives to conventional steel reinforcement in RC beams. This review evaluates fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars and hybrid steel–FRP composite bars (SFCBs) used for durability-critical applications. We conducted a structured literature search focused on 2010–2025 and included seminal pre-2010 studies for context. Experimental studies and code provisions were screened to synthesize evidence on load–deflection response, cracking, and failure, with brief notes on UHPC systems. FRP-RC offers corrosion resistance but limited ductility and an abrupt post-peak response. Steel is ductile and provides warning before failure. SFCB combines durability with steel-core ductility and yields gradual softening and higher energy absorption. Practice should select reinforcement based on stiffness–ductility–durability trade-offs. Current codes only partially cover hybrids. Key gaps include standardized bond–slip and tension-stiffening models for SFCB and robust data on long-term performance under aggressive exposure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Resilient Materials and Technologies for Future-Oriented Built Environments)
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